Sacred space (Japan, Kyoto)

In Japan, shimenawa ropes mark the symbolic boundary between the secular world and the sacred space. Made from twisted rice straw (wara), sometimes reinforced with bamboo or natural stems, they are traditionally installed during Shinto purification rites ( harae ) or on the occasion of seasonal events, such as New Year's (shōgatsu) or local festivals (matsuri).

The scene captured here in Kyoto documents a contemporary ritual installation , carried out by a worker specialized in the maintenance of the sacred environment – often commissioned by a shrine (jinja) or a neighborhood community. The careful positioning of the ropes on the surrounding wall is part of the preparatory gestures for the consecration of a place, before the arrival of priests or worshippers.

These ropes are often accompanied by shide , strips of paper folded in a zigzag pattern, symbols of the divine presence (kami). The use of bamboo, visible here, reinforces the protective effect of the structure: it channels energies and symbolically supports the purification of the site.